Many devices that incorporate a trust-based system that enforces Digital Rights Management (DRM), such as computing devices, including digital content reproduction devices and the like, have a temporal or time-based access requirement that requires a clock. While such a clock may, in principle, be located anywhere, it is often convenient for the device to incorporate a clock, a local source of time against which rights are validated. For example, playback of audio or video content may be permitted during one or more defined time periods and not at other times. The clock must be accurate so that permissions are granted only when they should be. The clock must also be secure so that a user cannot easily defeat the DRM by setting the current time to a false time within a permitted time window. There are a variety of schemes currently used for maintaining accuracy while maintaining security. For example, some systems lock an internal clock to a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver so that the clock does not drift. Other systems lock an internal clock to a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server on the Internet using secure network transactions. However, in some circumstances, either no connection to an external source is feasible or a continuous connection to such a source is not feasible. For example, no Internet connection may be available or GPS signals may not be receivable. If no external source is available, then a free-running clock has to be used. However, a free-running clock suffers from drift, and adjustment may be necessary in order to maintain accuracy. Consequently, there is a need for a secure clock that is free running but which may be adjusted by a user to correct for drift without compromising the clock's security.